OUR OPINION: Independence day for energy nears

America got an early Christmas gift this year with the news that as a nation we're about to become energy independent — at least in terms of fossil fuels.

The Energy Department reported this week that in 2012 America will produce 83 percent of all the energy it needs to power its automobiles and airplanes this year and is on course to be 100 percent energy independent next year.

And that should be a sign of relief to us all.

For now, at least, we're not as linked to unstable oil reserves in the Middle East or elsewhere. The United States is poised to pass Saudi Arabia as the largest oil-producing nation on Earth.

Our energy independence is being driven in large part by new technological breakthroughs that allow drilling for oil in challenging areas and difficult geological formations. It's more expensive, but few would argue that it's not worth the extra cost.

And the fact the oil industry has figured out how to get this previously unreachable resource lends confidence that more such breakthroughs will be found in the future.

Still, there's no reason to toss conservation out the windoW. Every gallon of fuel we don't consume now is a gallon we can save for later generations and more taxing times.

But enjoy the early Christmas present.

We've given ourselves and our children a gift that will keep on giving.